Verizon Center recorded another milestone today as the building counted its 25 millionth fan to enter through the turnstiles, exactly two years ago to the day that the building changed names for the first time in its ten year history. The recipient of the 25 millionth fan prize package, Vincent Mallard, with his son Mateo, of Alexandria, Virginia, received a seat upgrade for tonight’s game to two courtside center seats, two roundtrip airline tickets on Southwest Airlines, Regal Cinemas movie passes for a year, Dunkin Donuts coffee for a year, Papa John’s pizza for a year, Chipotle burritos for a year and a year-long membership to Bally’s Total Fitness.

“Another stellar accomplishment for the building is exciting,” says Chairman of Washington Sports & Entertainment Abe Pollin. “Our patrons have made this building become one of the most successful arenas in the country, right here in the nation’s capital. We’re very proud to have drawn 25 million people to downtown Washington, D.C.”

“I didn’t know what was going on,” says Mallard. “It’s beautiful. The ambiance at Verizon Center is great. I love the Wizards.”

Celebrating ten years at the center of the action, Verizon Center has experienced a plethora of new accolades and accomplishments this season. In September of 2007, the building installed the first true high-definition scoreboard of its kind for an arena in the nation and underwent a mini-makeover including a new concourse color scheme and directional signage. In December of 2007, the building marked its official tenth anniversary with a company wide celebration and announcement of being nominated for the first time in its ten year history for Arena of the Year by trade publication Pollstar. In January of 2008, Verizon Center was named as a 2007 Prime Site Award of Excellence recipient by trade publication Facilities for venue excellence. The award is voted on by members in the industry and is based on recognizing arenas for their physical edifice (structural dynamics), level of technology (sound, lighting, staging), and venue personnel.

Verizon Center is a 20,000-seat arena home to the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NCAA’s Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team. The arena hosts over 220 events annually ranging from concerts to family shows to world class tournaments. Events taking place later this month range from the Harlem Globetrotters to the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.